Large urns or liquid dispensers are popular for parties, meetings and other functions where coffee or other hot or cold beverages are to be dispensed to a group of people. Most conveniently, these urns or containers are filled from a coffee maker or other liquid beverage preparer by placing the urn or container under the outlet of the beverage preparer and allowing the thermal container to be filled directly by the discharge stream from the beverage preparer. The thermal container may then be removed to the site where the beverages are to be dispensed.
Filling the thermal container from the beverage preparer is usefully achieved via a cap or other collection device to direct the liquid into the thermal container. It is preferable that this cap is kept in place on the container during the filling process, transportation and dispensing the contents of the thermal container. It is also preferable that the cap has a narrow inlet that, while allowing liquids to flow into the thermal container, will also reduce or prevent spilling and splashing as the urn is moved from the site where it is filled to the site where its contents are dispensed. Such a cap also aids in preventing splashing if the thermal container is accidentally knocked or tipped. It is also desirable that the cap assists in insulating the contents of the insulated urn or thermal container.
Another concern is that the contents of the thermal container are for human consumption and, therefore, any components coming in contact with the beverages should be capable of being thoroughly cleaned and sanitized as needed to prevent bacterial or fungal contamination of the beverage. Also, since the thermal containers may be used for different beverages at different times, it is important to be able to clean the filler cap to remove traces of beverages which have previously been used in the thermal container so that they do not contaminate subsequent beverages introduced into the thermal container. Cleaning and sanitizing is most effectively achieved if the components can be disassembled to allow all surfaces of the parts to be scrubbed.
While a narrow filling inlet in the cap is desirable for the reasons give above, the narrow inlet in the cap introduces the problem of venting air. As liquids are introduced into the container, air is displaced and must escape from the interior of the container. Also, thermal expansion of the air within the container also results in a need for venting. The venting of the air from the container must be achieved without splashing hot liquids.
It is preferable that the structure for the filling and venting functions are contained within the cap, thus avoiding the need to redesign existing thermal containers.
A number of designs have been used to incorporate a vent into a container. In some designs, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,819,279 to Coyle, U.S. Pat. No. 2,562,010 to Aitken and U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,970 to Brothers, Jr., vents are included to vent gases produced by the contents, such as butter fat, milk, cream, or hot liquids. In each of these cases the cap does not include a filling port and the vent is placed within the neck of the container, rather than within the cap.
In other designs, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,933 to Jurczenia et al., a vent is formed between elements on the container can and cap which cooperate to form a vent. Again this design does not include a filling port.
In another design, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,318 to Earl, venting is achieved by placing a hole in the cap. In this design, no filling port is provided.
In another design described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,787 to Stone, a coffee pot dispenser/filler cap is described in which a vent tube is provided through the cap. A filling port is also provided which incorporates a conical cover which directs the coffee or beverage flow to a U-shaped inlet port wherein the beverage forms a seal to prevent oxidation of the contents of the container. While this design provides both a filling port and a vent, the design is very intricate making manufacture of the cap and its subsequent cleaning during use, difficult and cumbersome.
In a design described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,898 to Brown, a filling port is provided which incorporates a ball check valve within the neck of the filling port to prevent spilling. Venting is separately provided via a conduit which includes a ball check valve which ball is displaced when pressure builds up inside the container. This design is difficult, if not impossible, to adequately clean and the check valves are subject to sticking.
In another design described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,959 to Patel, a funnel-shaped inlet port includes a floatable ball to form a seal. Venting is provided by grooves located in the neck of the container around the installed portion of the filler cap in the container opening. Again this design would be difficult to adequately clean and the ball could become stuck after it has been coated with beverage.
It is desirable to provide a filler cap for use with an insulated or thermal container which incorporates a filling port and which is simple to manufacture and clean. It is also desirable that the cap has no moving parts which could become stuck during use. It is also desirable that the cap is provided with a vent to allow air to escape from the container.